The invention relates to the field of heating, ventilation and air conditioning and, more particularly, to a system and method for controlling temperature and humidity of a controlled space.
Uniform standards have been set for minimum treatment of air for conditioning controlled spaces. Two of these standards are ASHRAE/ANSI Standard 90.1 and ASHRAE/ANSI Standard 62, which prescribe basic energy efficiency requirements and minimum amounts of outside air to maintain acceptable indoor air quality. Standard 90.1 requires the use of a total energy recovery device when more than 5000 CFM (and greater than 70%) of outside air is being introduced into a space. Problems arise in hot and humid climates, where introducing large amounts of outdoor air can actually be detrimental to indoor air quality.
Attempts have been made to address this issue. U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,388 is drawn to a system and method for controlling temperature and humidity in a controlled space. However, other attempts at solving this problem still require excessive amounts of mechanical cooling.
The need remains for a system and method for controlling temperature and humidity in a controlled space with reduced requirements for mechanical cooling.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide such a system and method.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention appear herein.